Editing Clostridium perfringens (section)

== Transformation ==
{{main|Transformation (genetics)}}
There are two methods of [[Genetic engineering|genetic manipulation]] via experimentation that have been shown to cause genetic transformation in ''C. perfringens''.

=== Protoplast transformation ===
The first report of transformation in ''C. perfringens'' involved [[polyethylene]] [[Glycol|glycol-mediated transformation]] of [[protoplast]]s. The transformation procedure involved the addition of the plasmid DNA to the protoplasts in the presence of high concentrations of [[polyethylene glycol]]. During the first protoplast transformation experiment, L-phase variants of ''C. perfringens'' were generated by [[penicillin]] treatment in the presence 0.4m sucrose. After the transformation procedure was completed, all of the transformed cells were still in the form of L-phase variants. Reversion to vegetative cells was not obtained, but it was observed that autoplasts (protoplasts derived from [[Autolysis (biology)|autolysis]]) were able to be regenerated to produce rods with cell walls and could be transformed with ''C. perfringens'' plasmid DNA.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rood |first1=J I |last2=Cole |first2=S T |date=December 1991 |title=Molecular genetics and pathogenesis of Clostridium perfringens |journal=Microbiological Reviews |language=en |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=621–648 |doi=10.1128/mr.55.4.621-648.1991 |issn=0146-0749 |pmc=372840 |pmid=1779929}}</ref>

=== Electroporation ===
[[Electroporation]] involves the application of a high-voltage electric field to vegetative bacteria cells for a very short period. This technique resulted in major advances in genetic transformation of ''C. perfringens'', due to the bacteria often displaying itself as a vegetative cell or as dormant spores in food.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Golden |first1=Neal J. |last2=Crouch |first2=Edmund A. |last3=Latimer |first3=Heejeong |last4=Kadry |first4=Abdel-Razak |last5=Kause |first5=Janell |date=July 2009 |title=Risk Assessment for Clostridium perfringens in Ready-to-Eat and Partially Cooked Meat and Poultry Products |journal=Journal of Food Protection |volume=72 |issue=7 |pages=1376–1384 |doi=10.4315/0362-028x-72.7.1376 |pmid=19681258 |issn=0362-028X|doi-access=free }}</ref> The electric pulse creates pores in the bacterial cell membrane and allows the passive influx of DNA molecules.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rood |first1=J I |last2=Cole |first2=S T |date=1991 |title=Molecular genetics and pathogenesis of Clostridium perfringens. |journal=Microbiological Reviews |language=en |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=621–648 |doi=10.1128/MMBR.55.4.621-648.1991 |issn=0146-0749|doi-access=free |pmid=1779929 |pmc=372840 }}</ref>